The Followers: The Journey of the 77
by VenusSilverman
Summary: Being a follower isn't bad. When you have a great leader, life is pretty easy. But when the demon world goes sideways, assassinations lead to all out war, and the followers now become the leaders...well, life doesn't get much harder than that.
1. Chapter 1

The Followers

 **Oh Hiiiieeeeeee. I hope you all are enjoying 2018. I was burrowing my head into the manga the other day and I was kind of intrigued by Mukuro and her army. Two things; A, Mukuro is a bad ass. The anime does not do her justice. And B, the 77. The 77 are a group of demons that Mukuro hand picked to run special missions for her and be her inner circle. I don't think it's ever mentioned in the anime. Anyhoo, I was super into the mystery of who these demons were and what their lives could be like so I decided to bust open the twizzlers and my laptop and get cracking. Also, I wanted to write an OC that was a demon versus a human. Nothing against human OC's (It me all the time), but I wanted to see if I could write from that perspective. Demons in the anime get this shitty rep of being terrible, human eating monsters and I wanted to see if I could write a narrative that didn't depict them this way.**

 **A lot of this story follows the manga. There' a huge plot twist at the end of the last volume that doesn't get explored in the anime and I'm going to use that in this fic. I hope to be clear in my writing but if you have questions or you haven't read the manga and you're like "DAFUQ you talkin' bout'?" just PM me. I hope you like it**

 **Toodles!**

 **XOXO VSILV**

* * *

I've heard that there are two types of people in life, those who lead, and those who follow. Many individuals thrive to be the leader, the master-the true ruler of all things. They make the rules and the followers, in their nature, follow the rules. The followers trail behind the leader; they enforce the laws of the leader, they grovel at their feet, and they strive for their one goal which is to satisfy their leader. I read somewhere that 'Leaders get to choose their life, and followers just let life happen to them'. To me, that doesn't sound so bad. I am not a leader. And I am quite happy with that, thank you very much. Besides, when you have a great leader to follow, life isn't so bad.

Lord Mukuro is my leader. And I will follow her anywhere.

And with Mukuro as a leader, life is pretty great. Mukuro is a fearless, cutthroat, and powerful demon, and she liked to keep those around her just as malicious, and just as powerful. Especially the 77. The 77 were a group of hand picked fighters- the best of the best to serve exclusively under Lord Mukuro. We don't know how the number got into her head, but she always wanted 77. When someone in the 77 died, someone else took there place. There were never 76. There were never 79. There was always 77. We were assassins, soldiers, demon's of the dark arts- demons of very special ability to pit it simply. We were separate from her main army, and operated within our circle. Whatever Lord Mukuro needed or wanted, we had it taken care of. When spies tried to infiltrate Alaric, we took care of it. When Mukuro wanted us to spy on Yomi or Raizen, we did it. And when Lord Mukuro wanted someone to feel pain, and I mean, really _really_ feel pain, she called upon us. I don't like bragging, but there was no other group in the world that were stronger than us. The love that I had for Lord Mukuro is the closest link I felt I would ever have to a parent or soulmate. It was unconditional. And my loyalty to her was undeniable. Even in the rare moments it was questioned, I proved my worth. I have killed, and will continue to kill for her. Was she cruel, yes. Was she tyrannical, absolutely. Yet she treated us, the 77 with a respect that was greater than any of us had ever known or will know. And it is that reason I stay, and will forever stay by her side.

Aside from being cutthroat killers and fighters, the 77 acted like a big family. We fought together, trained together, performed missions together, drank together, slept together (I didn't, but I cant speak for all of us). Most members of the 77 have severed for many years. I was one of the newer members, I had served for 48 years now, and I did keep count. Others have been around for centuries. I was considered lucky, as I was one of three women who served in the 77. The other two women, were actually some of my closest friends. All in all, being in the 77 was great. I felt a sense of camaraderie with my team. Even in times of chaos, or when were on the brink of all out war, I felt a connection to my team. We all served our leader, it was our destiny. I had every intention to be killed in battle with my comrades at my side and be forgotten, only to be remembered by those who may have survived my wrath. I was ready to die fighting.

Then, Kirin was replaced. Raizen died. The tournament happened. And things started to change.

The Makai was boring. I had never thought I'd be saying that in my lifetime. It's a terrible thought but it was exciting when we were at war. There were more missions, more travel, more training. The threat of all out war kept us on our toes. The team was tighter than ever. We were all prepared for a battle at all times. Now there was this illusion of peace, and things were, well _boring!_

I was on patrol duty for fucks sake.

When Raizen died, his heir, a Reikai investigator turned demon took control and set up a tournament pulling all demons together to fight it out for a champion. A single ruler. Mukuro had entered, and we, being her inner circle, had entered as well. We all fought valiantly, and all of us lost just as valiantly. And now this new demon king, who I will never call my king, put all of us losers on patrol duty for three years to protect the wandering humans who entered our world and to also maintain balance between the border. But humans were rare, and our days were just spent traveling the same routes and staring into the abysmal red sky hoping it would open up and swallow us all.

But, there were some ways to entertain ourselves. And that was fighting. And this is where I found myself now.

"Go Makoto, you've got her now!"

"I swear Sade if I lose my gold coins on you I'll kill you myself."

Yes, that was directed at me. And currently I'd kill my own damn self if I was to loose to Makoto of all people. The two of us were currently engaged in a bit of a skirmish. Something that usually happens when no humans are to be found and demons are left to their own devices. Makoto was behind me with his strong arms wrapped around my neck in a headlock. I was busy trying to breathe as well as elbow him in the stomach. But unfortunately for me he had abs that could crush metal and I was getting nowhere. We didn't use our true powers here, it was just strength and strength alone. Luckily I took a buck to his nether regions with my boots and he released me. We fought dirty. Literally and figuratively. We've been fighting for the past half hour and were both covered in mud at this point and our blood was beginning to melt into the earth. There were about 15 members of the 77 circled around us cheering us on. Makoto threw a punch at me, hitting me directly in jaw and causing more blood to leak from my lips. I stumbled backwards, he followed and slammed me into the mud. The group began to cheer. I wasn't great at close combat, especially without our real power, but my ego was not about to let me down. I wrapped my legs around Makoto, strangling his neck with my thighs and proceeded to hammer my fists into his head. Another roar of applause from the groups. He fought back, then gasped, and eventually I felt his fingers tap at my legs. The fight was over, I was the winner. Thick thighs 1, Makoto's skull 0.

Mero, another member of the 77 came over to me, hoisting me up by the arm, "To the victor!"

I gave a bloodied smile. As much I was going to regret this fight later on, it felt good to fight. It also felt good to win. Makoto eventually rose to his feet. He was at least two heads taller than me, full of muscle and scars. He gave me a sour look before smiling and embracing my free hand with his own. I had nearly chocked him to death, but he was my teammate. We were comrades in arms and no matter what we respected each other.

"Okay," I let out a pained huff, "Give it to me."

"Alright alright." Mero released my hand and dug into his satchel which revealed a book covered in a black paper. He handed the prize to me and I eagerly ripped at the covering. The rest of the group began to huddle around me as I held up the book and opened it to the center page. Turning the paper sideways a second sheet folded out, revealing a very promiscuous photo.

The men in the group boggled their eyes and made whistling noises.

"Look at the likes of her." One of them said.

Another licked his lips, "A real beauty."

"She's quite thin for a human. Do they feed them anything over there?" Questioned another.

"Yeah," I nodded while taking a closer look, "she's so…hairless." I began to question my own looks. Was this the real standard of beauty? The human girl in the photograph had big eyes, a tiny waist, supple breasts and a rather weak physique. Meanwhile I had tan skin, an athletic build, muscles on my stomach, breasts that were half her size, and I was covered in mud. And bleeding from my nose to my elbows. I'm quite lucky I don't live in the human world.

"Time's up!" Mero's voice snapped me back to attention as he ripped the magazine from my hands, "Next round's winner gets the book for 15 minutes. Fighters please!"

The men in the group shouted and threw their hands up, all clamoring for the magazine. I decide to slip away from the crowd. I was hoping it would have been some type of human music magazine. Not another nudey one. Human men carried weird things with them. And while it was against the laws to tamper with humans, Enki said nothing about tampering with their stuff. After all, they wandered into our world and we brought them back safely. It was the least these humans could do to repay us for our kindness.

"Oy, Sade."

I turned towards the familiar voice. It was Issa. Issa was, you guessed it, another member of the 77. But she was the first female to ever be recruited by Mukuro. Issa was beautiful. She was tall and muscular, with gorgeously long black hair that was slicked back into a ponytail. She dressed in a earthy green shirt and black slacks. Compared to the human girl in the magazine, Issa was the true standard to demon beauty; her looks, and her hands could kill.

"Sade." She called again.

I wiped the mud off my face before responding, "What?"

"Lord Mukuro calls for you."

The group behind me went silent save for the few 'oos' and gasps from the men. "Someone's gonna die". I heard one of them say. Perhaps he was right. Lord Mukuro never called on me personally. The only time was when I was first recruited to the 77. I had to make an offering to her, to prove and ensure my everlasting loyalty to Alaric and her rule. People offered the most bizarre things. Some offered their weapons, their lands, children, fingers, their children's fingers. I came from nothing, so I didn't have really anything to offer. When it came to my turn I just stripped in front of her and offered my virgin body. She just chuckled beneath her bandages, "Save it child. Find yourself a mate and make them beg you to disrobe next time." She continued by saying that I wasn't really her type and once she revealed herself and her gender to me years later that seemed to make a lot of sense. I, as well as everyone else in the 77 still referred to her as Lord Mukuro.

And now Lord Mukuro wanted to talk to me. Just me.

Alone.

Shit, I really am going to die.

I swiftly followed behind Issa as she turned back towards the camp, "Did lord Mukuro say what they wanted?"

"No." Issa answered simply. She turned to me and gave me a coy smile. Her cheekbones receded up towards the heaven, her fanged teeth glittered in the Makai daylight. Did I mention that Issa was beautiful? "Lord Mukuro asked me to retrieve you, and I'm doing just that. Perhaps you should be more mindful that she has eyes everywhere."

A groan escaped my lips. I flipped through my memories to recall if I had done anything disapproving over the last week. I did the best I could at patrol. Maybe I slacked off here and there but I wasn't the only one! And Makoto egged me into this fight; he should be the one getting punished! "Did…Did Lord Mukuro look mad when she asked you?"

Issa shrugged and continued walking, "Dunno. But clean yourself up first. You have worse hygiene than my children."

Ah. Issa children. Issa specialized in both demonic arts and childrearing. She had a habit of returning from missions with both information on foreign adversaries and their DNA brewing in her stomach. I personally had no idea why she would do it. Her body would swell, she'd become tired, she couldn't fight anymore. But it all made sense as I held her first daughter Ayeka in my arms. She was utterly perfect, just like her mother. However, Issa never stopped having kids. Currently she had Ayeka and Hideo who were children size, at least two years apart. Then there were the twins Suki and Sophitia - I think they were still toddlers, and just recently Issa gave birth to her fifth (and hopefully final) child, Rue. I didn't even know if it was a boy or a girl. It was hard to keep up with Issa and her pregnancies these days. In fact, this was the first time in a long time I've seen her without a fetus in her belly.

We continued to walk through the forests before reaching the campsite. The only good thing about this odd time of peace was the fact that there was less roaming around. The mobile centipede that we all called home would be constantly moving from place to place in order to give us the advantage incase the call of battle was heard. Now, due to the fact that there was peace, Mukuro just stopped the centipede one day and ordered us all to build a town. It wasn't much of a city; it was much smaller than the former capital of Gandara but it was able to house the army. We had training grounds, farms, houses, even a little marketplace. And the giant centipede that was Mukuro's fortress loomed protectively over it all.

And that's where I'm going to to be executed.

We walked into the fortress and down the many hallways towards Mukuro's personal chambers. Mukuro had such a weird sense of decoration. The halls were littered with eyes and mouths. Many of the eyes looked like they were following my every step as Issa and I walked passed. It was such a creepy place. Mukuro had a creepy sense of humor.

Issa was the one to open the steel doors, giving me no time to prepare or say a prayer for myself. Mukuro's chambers were bare. There was a floor lamp, a large tapestry on the floor. I could have sworn I saw bloodstains. She had a table and stiff looking chairs and underneath the drapery was Mukuro's large, pillow-like throne. My leader, my fearless, ruthless, cutthroat leader was currently lounged on her chair. She looked relaxed, calm even. This was good.

"Lord Mukuro." Issa spoke while pressing her hands against the front of her legs. Her body leaned forward in a slight bow, "And Hiei."

Shit! He was here.

Hiei. The second in command. The top fighter of the 77. How did I miss him? The fire demon was lounging in one of the chairs; his feet were propped up on the coffee table and his arms were crossed. His sword rested against the arm of the chair. He looked bored and uninterested in our presence. Seriously, how did I miss him?

I've met Hiei before. But we've never had an in depth conversation. He barely even spoke. I think I've heard him speak a total of five times. He was a strong demon. A _very_ strong demon. And he rose to power so freakin' fast. Six months. Six months! Issa, who had been around much longer than me had said that power shifts tend to happen in Mukuro's army, but nothing like Hiei's quick transition. Some said there were other, more intimate reasons, to his ascension to power, but we dare not speak publicly about. Or even think it. He was a telepath after all.

Hiei was such a broody man. But he was a damn good fighter. When someone wanted to challenge the second in command they would have to fight every member of the 77. It wasn't a fight to the death, they had to defeat their opponent in hand to hand combat and make them submit. And once all were all defeated they would then challenge the second in command, and that would be a fight to the death. And all of this happened with no breaks between matches or intermissions to tend to wounds.

It took nearly three days, but Hiei beat us all. I'd like to say I put up a good fight, I lasted well over an hour, but eventually Hiei had me in a hold worse than Makoto and I submitted. He said nothing when I did. He just released me and walked away. When it was time to fight with Kirin, the former second in command simply bowed in front of Mukuro and admitted defeat. He knew Mukuro wanted to replace him. So he did so willingly without a fight. Kirin hasn't spoken about it since; he's now just another member of the 77 and didn't even seek revenge. It was one of the most peaceful transfers of power that I'd ever seen. Kirin, however, was much more charismatic than Hiei. Hiei just sat there and moped around all the time. He was barely even in Alaric. He retreated to the human world a lot for who know's what and did I mention he was moody?

But, he was Mukuro's second in command. I was forever loyal to Mukuro, and therefore I would be just as loyal to Hiei.

I mimicked the same bow as Issa towards both Hiei and Mukuro. A drop of blood escaped my still bleeding nose and it seeped into the rug beneath me. May that be the last drop of my blood spilt in this room.

Mukuro looked up and nodded towards Issa, noticing her now flat stomach, "You look smaller."

Issa smiled, "A healthy baby boy my lord."

"Mmm" she murmured while nodding her head, "you have your hands quite full now, don't you."

"Yes. I suppose I should call it quits after this one."

"Nonsense." Mukuro let out a gentle smile, "I rather enjoy the idea that you are raising the bastard children of my former enemies. It almost makes me miss the good old days. Now," She waved her robotic hand at her. Issa bowed again before exiting the room and closing the door behind her.

I watched her leave before turning back towards Mukuro. She stretched her arms leisurely before settling them behind her head, "You look like shit."

True. I was covered in now caked mud, my clothes were sticking to my skin at this point. I had a bloodied lip and a broken nose, and I probably smelled just as bad as I looked. Not the best presentation for meeting your boss and controller of your fate.

I just let out a weak smile, "I apologize Lord Mukuro."

"I've been hearing rumors of my most elite soldiers slacking off during patrol."

I winced. She really did have eyes everywhere. And having someone like Hiei as a second in command really made it easy for her to spy on us. "Um, human sightings were low. We were merely blowing off some steam."

"I see." She answered. Mukuro was even more eerie to look at without her mask. She had her robotic eye which was always roaming around and inspecting everything. Then there was her natural eye. It was a deep, endless blue color that pierced me every time she gazed upon me. That eye was much more ferocious than her biconical one. She shouldn't have even masked and warded her face before, if her enemies saw her real eye, they would just grovel at her feet. I felt like doing the same thing. Mukuro then asked, "And why do you think that is?"

"Huh?"

"You're all slacking. I want to know why." Now her hands were removed from behind her head and they were now resting on her knees. Her body hunched forward a bit. I was beginning to get nervous.

"We've been restless. The next tournament is in a few more weeks and I'm sure everyone is just getting their heads up their own asses with excitement. Also being on patrol is terribly boring my lord."

I saw Hiei shift slightly. He let out some sort of grunt or groan, some type inaudible sound from his mouth. Mukuro noticed it too, but continued to stare at me, "Will you be entering the tournament this year Sade?"

"Of course. If you enter, I will as well."

"And what if you win?"

"I would hand power to you. I'm not cut out to be the leader. I'm fine in my rankings."

"And I suppose you…Oh Hiei what was that human phrase you told me the other day…ah yes, jump off a cliff If I jumped off?"

Hiei's eyes rolled, "That's not how you say it."

I just stood there confused, "Have I done something to upset you Lord Mukuro?"

Mukuro let out a small laugh, "You know the territories have been abandoned, you don't have to continue to serve me."

"I swore an oath of loyalty to you. I don't care for new laws or new kings. I, and all of the 77 will remain at your side until death takes us. So, yes. If you enter the tournament this year, I will as well."

Mukuro gave a pleased smile. Her blue eye continued to study me, "Do you know why you are a 77 Sade?"

My answers sounded more like a question, "Because I killed the other competitors?"

Her arm extended, pointing towards my sleeved left arm, "That. That is why. You could have killed Makoto and ripped his head from his neck but instead you allowed him a false sense of security in your hesitation. Why did you hesitate?"

I glanced down at my arm. My arm left arm was dressed in a purple, fingerless glove that extended past my wrist and all the way up to my biceps. I didn't have a hidden dragon or a secret weapon under there but the source of my power, my true ability rested beneath the violet cloth. I kept it under wraps for my own reasons, and only used it when completely necessary. And purple was my favorite color and it matched my eyes. But, I knew what Mukuro was referencing to, "I don't like to use it. Not when I don't have to. I won on my own terms."

Mukuro continued to stay silent. She just stared. I didn't know what to do. Now Hiei was staring as well, but he didn't look nearly as inquisitive as Mukuro. Hiei's vermillion eyes had a look of annoyance or disgust. If they could talk, they would say, 'How dare you hold back on your enemy, pathetic.'

"When you enter the tournament this year, do not hold back. Even if you fight one of your own. I may not have control over my territories but I still wish for my 77 to strike fear in the eyes of the competition."

I nodded at a speed so fast I felt my head would soon rip itself from my neck, "Yes, of course, Lord Mukuro."

"Good. Now clean yourself up. You really do look terrible."

I bowed again and quickly left the room. When the door closed I let out the biggest exhale and leaned my back against the wall. I survived my first one on one conversation with Mukuro. Today was turning out to be a good day. Then I heard it.

 _Click clack, click clack, click clack_.

"Oh hi Sade! You look…terrible."

Ah, the third and final female member of the 77, Pri. Pri was short, petite woman who had the physique of a perfect human toy doll. She had light skin, a full head of lilac hair that was styled in perfect pigtails that bounced at her movement. She had a tiny waist, slender legs. She was human looking in every way possible, save for the robotic right arm. She was such a dainty little, happy thing. And while she was small in size she always dressed in very high white heels. No one knew why, but Pri had an obsession with human fashion, the chunky white heels being her favorite. You could always hear Pri arrival due to the clacking of her shoes. She had been around for quite some time, I wasn't sure. It was only recently she was promoted to with a position in the 77; when it was first revealed that she would be talking the place of a 77 who was killed fighting off invading forces one soldier began to question if Mukuro only favored Pri because of her robotic appendages. Pri invited him into her sleeping quarters one night and made him an amputee in a rather uncomfortable and very private part of his body and no one questioned her title again. And Pri had her uses; she was a master mechanic. She created her own bionic arm that looked every bit like her natural one, save for the chrome finish. Pri often worked on fixing things around the fortress and served as a personal repair technician for Mukuro's own robotic arm and leg.

Pri looked extra pepper today; she had on her favorite white sun dress, her smile was wide and her icy green eyes were sparkling. She carried a box of tech supplies in her hand and I assumed she was heading towards Mukuro's chambers.

"Good to see you Pri. And yeah, I…had a little scrimmage with guys from patrol."

"Oh fun." She beamed. Geez, if she smiled any wider her face would rip in half, "Let's met up later okay?"

I nodded "Sure." I made sure to briskly walk away as Pri entered. I had no desire to have another awkward conversation with Mukuro again.

I spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning myself up and preparing for dinner. Even though we had built a town around Mukuro's fortress, I still called the roaming centipede my home. I still stayed in the barracks, which was much further away from Mukuro's personal chambers. I had always known this place as home, and it was rather nice. I had my own room now, and I pushed both beds together to make a nice, sprawling retreat for myself. The showers were shared, but then again I still found time to have a private moment. And, we had an amazing, giant bath that was practically empty now and there was no way I was going to move into a tiny home in the village and give that up. Upon the completion of my shower I began to dress myself. I took a moment to pause in the mirror, the image of the human girl in the magazine once again surfaced in my mind. I don't know why I obsessed with it, but I had come to realize that I didn't look anything like the picture, or human for that matter.

No, I didn't have extra appendages or horns like some of our team, but I definitely did not fit, 'the look' of human beauty standards. I was taller than most human women and my skin was not pale and blemish free. I had warmth to my pigment and my tan skin had scars and imperfections. I had a rather lean but muscular build, where humans had baby fat and suppleness I had abs and muscle. I had larger thighs where they had smaller ones. I was told at a young age I had perfect 'feminine hips for childbearing'. I didn't and still don't have a desire to bear children. However, I will say that child bearing hips also meant I had a nice firm butt, and that was a compliment I was glad to accept. I had a rather oval face due and thin nose, plush lips - even my face had muscle to it. And my hair. Most human girls had a full head of hair. I did not. On one of my first missions I barely dodged an energy infused arrow that was aimed at my head. It sliced right by me and grazed the left side of my scalp. Half of my hair had to be shaved to clean the wound. Ever since then I decided to leave my hair half shaved and display my first scar as a trophy.

We didn't have uniforms in the 77, so we could wear what we wanted. I had always dressed in the same outfit. I dressed in a black, sleeveless bodysuit, followed by a loose fitting gray tunic that covered the core of my body, the purple glove (of course), and my favorite pair of dark brown boots, the ones that extended all the way up my legs, just past my knees. I combed my messy hair and tended to my wounds and headed out.

* * *

I loved food. I had heard of human traditions such as 'calorie counting' or 'detoxing' and they scared me. Humans were a strange lot. Again, I was glad I didn't live there, as I loved food. And we, the 77 always ate well. I was seated in the mess hall of the fortress, currently polishing off my second plate (And If I'm still hungry, I'll have a third, thank you very much). Sitting next to me were both Issa and Pri, and Issa's hoard of children.

They were well mannered children. Ayeka was eating perfect, bite sized pieces and using a napkin. She had taken after her mother the most. Her brother Hideo was using his hands like the rest of us. He was a moody boy and like most men he asserted himself to be the leader of his siblings, even though he was second eldest. Sophitia and Suki looked completely identical. Same short height, curly brown hair, big hazel eyes. They were currently engaged in a toddler conversation and drawing in their food. And I finally got to see Rue. Barely a week old he was nuzzled in his mothers loving arms. Issa made beautiful children, and while none of her children save for the twins had the same father, they all were going to grow up to be powerful demons thanks to her.

"Oh he's just so cute!" Pri cooed while leaning over the table to take a closer look at the new babe. "Please have more children Issa."

"I think I may be done after this." Issa commented while handing Hideo a fork and giving him the motherly look of 'stop acting like an animal'. Hideo just grumbled and snatched the silverware from her hands, "besides. It would be nice to be able to compete in a tournament at full strength."

Oh, did I mention that besides being the ideal standard for demon beauty Issa competed in the first tournament 4 weeks pregnant with the twins? She eventually, with Mukuro's approval, bowed out of the competition after the preliminaries but she will be forever cemented in glory for being the only contestant that was both eating, and fighting fore three.

Issa is amazing, end of story.

"What about you two? I can't be the only one pushing out babies here."

Pri pressed her hands to her face in a gushing manner, "That would be so lovely. But I think after my recent… _encounter_ with a man I've scared most suitors away."

I stuck my tongue out, the twins giggled at my reaction, "I'm not cut out for motherhood. And besides, my loyalties are to Mukuro." What a stupid response, but I don't really have or need love for anyone else at the moment.

"Oh nonsense, you're great with children." Issa playfully argued, "And that just means you should date someone within the 77. Hmm," Her eyes scanned around the room, "There's Yoshiro, Koda, Makoto, Chester, Mero- though I think Mero and Chester might be together now…"

"Oh! What about Hiei?"

If I didn't love food so much I would have thrown up in my mouth. I gave her the most sour look, yet nothing could shatter the happiness that was Pri. "You two would be perfect together. You're both a bit brash and very forward…and you both have undying loyalty to Lord Mukuro. It's a match made-"

"In hell." I finished for her.

"Yeah, you might have to bend down to kiss him, but you'd be perfect together." Issa approved with a wink. Pri nodded. I could tell her bionic brain was starting to think of ceremonial robes, my nonexistent children and other nasty thoughts.

"No." I answered rather curtly. "I don't need anyone to satisfy my place in the world. And Hiei is not forward. He doesn't even talk."

"I'll be your partner." Hideo spoke. "I need a strong woman at my side."

"Hideo hush." His mother chastised, "I'm the only woman that will be at your side for the next century. Got that?"

"I wanna be your boyfriend too!" One of the twins added. The other was quick to nod.

I picked up one of the twins an set her in my lap, the other was quick to join. I gave the two of them a deep hug "See, I have all the love I need right here."

The dining hall suddenly became silent. I glanced around to see none other than HIei himself walk into the room. Kirin jumped to his feet, as did the rest of us. I managed to do so as well while holding the twins in arms and resting them against my hips. My birthing hips did come in handy today. Hiei continued his pace through the room. The sound of his black boots hitting the stone floor and Rue's infant gurgling where the only sounds filling up the room. Why did he look like he was coming to towards me? Maybe he'll turn. Nope. Maybe he'll stop…nope. Now he was just a few feet away. And he finally did stop, right in front of me.

It was so hard to bow with kids in your arms. Before I could do so, Hiei spoke.

"Mukuro's summoned you to scout out the area for the next tournament. I will meet you outside the fortress in the morning."

I stared at him blankly. His face twitched slightly, "Is that a problem?"

"We're going…together?"

The fire demon gave me an annoyed look, "Do I need to repeat myself?"

"Uh, no. No of course not. I'll be there."

He just stared. His ruby eyes were scanning over me in the same manner from Mukuro's chambers. I wish he would just stop But then again, I had two children in my arms that weren't mine, and I'm sure there was food dribbling from my face. I was a spectacle I suppose.

His red orbs now moved towards my covered left arm, "Don't wear that tomorrow." His eyes flickered to the floor and he left it at that as he walked off. We all watched him go and when he was safely out of range Makoto looked me in the eye and made a rather obscene gesture with his hands. I placed my foot on the seat of my chair and kicked it at him; the twins, and the rest of the group laughed when the wooden furniture shattered into his body. After that I dropped the twins and went for my third plate. After news like that, I'd like to say that I earned it.

Tomorrow, I had a feeling, was going to be an exhausting day.

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 **Okay so, your thoughts? I enjoyed writing this so far, and I hope you enjoyed reading this. Lots of OC's in this fic. So, let me know what you think. I'll update when I can. Read, enjoy, follow, review, live your best life.**

 **XOXO VSILV**


	2. Chapter 2

**Howdy there. A big, lovely thank you to Ashley491 for the review! And many thanks to those who have given this story a view. I hope you enjoy the second chapter.**

 **XOXO VSILV**

* * *

I had never felt more awkward in my life. And I didn't know why. I was always a strong willed demon; I never walked into battle with fear. I faced my enemies with strength and courage. Every mission was completed to the best of my ability. But why was I sweating so nervously during this one little excursion? My mind trailed to one source,

Hiei.

No, it wasn't a lovestruck or starstruck feeling that was rumbling my stomach. It was hard to describe; it was a feeling of emptiness. Hiei had no emotion, he was void of everything save for two displays of annoyance and anger. He was incredibly hard to read. And the fact that my brain couldn't pick up a hint of emotion from him made my insides churn with anxiety.

'Is he happy?'

'Irritated?'

'Is he just as freaked out as I was?'

'Is he going to murder me in the woods?'

Give me something man!

I didn't really get much sleep the night before. I ended up just tossing and turning in my bed before finally awakening well before morning to do some exercise and training. I was an hour early to the meeting spot with Hiei. I dressed in the same outfit save for my purple sleeve. It felt weird not having it on me. I almost felt naked without it. I just stood there awkwardly and nearly jumped out of my skin when Hiei suddenly appeared in front of me. He didn't say anything. He just looked at me, and then down to my arm, and then back up to my face.

"Let's go." He spoke before his body shifted and disappeared.

I took off shortly behind him. I wasn't as fast as Hiei, but I was able to keep up. You would think though, since we were doing this mission together, that he wouldn't be acting like he was trying to avoid me. But this was Hiei, the emotionless cape wearing blob of a demon.

Finally we reached the area. The area was in the same as the last tournament. It was a weird feeling entering the former territory of Gandara and not have soldiers attacking you or arrows flying at your head. It was peaceful, it creeped me out. We spent the next few hours scouting the area. I didn't really know what we were looking for but Hiei seemed determined to find something. So just followed along and pretend to be just as curious as he was.

'What is this tree? Could it be an explosive?'

'Oh look…a rock, or _is it_?'

'The stairs, better check to make sure they aren't to slippery?'

We were now in the forests outside of the area, still scouting the area. I didn't know what came over me. I was so used to being with a team that was more talkative. Hiei was just dead silent the whole time.

"So. You've been to the human realm, right?"

"I have." He answered, his back still turned to me.

"What is it like there?" I pressed further.

Hiei's head whipped around towards me, his eyes piercing into my soul in a similar fashion to Mukuro. "It's terrible."

I stretched my leg on a nearby tree, "It seems that way. What do humans even do for a living there? They don't fight all the time like we do, do they? And what's the food like? I can't imagine it being any better than ours. And all the men that wander into our world seemed to be obsessed with pornography-"

"You talk too much." Hiei's strong voice cut me off. "I am not a liaison to the human realm. If you're so curious, go there yourself."

"Sorry." I muttered. There was another long pause between us. It was unbearable. I felt the need to talk, but I decided to keep it strictly business this time, "So…the area seems pretty much combed over. Nothing out of place or suspicious."

Hiei nodded once. But once again his eyes were back on me, specifically on my arm, "When we fought years ago, you hesitated."

Again with the hesitation. Why did he, or Mukuro care that much, "You beat me. Doesn't that satisfy you enough?"

"Hn." He responded. His hand tugged at his shoulder which disrobed his cape from his body, "Mukuro may have seen your true ability but I have not. The next tournament is nearing and I want to see exactly how strong my competition is."

I took a step backwards. He noticed and stepped forward. I wasn't going to escape this. Of all the things I didn't want to do today, fighting Hiei was at the very top of that list. Hiei removed his sword from his waist and tossed it to his side. The katana clacked against a nearby tree. His aura began to swarm around him; the trees began to rustle.

"Come now. Show me your real power." He beckoned. The bandana around his eyes began to smolder as the Jagan peeled itself open. The infamous Jagan. I had only seen Hiei wield it for telepathic purposes. Never have I seen it be used for battle,

until now.

Hiei pushed his body forward in attack; I dodged him, but he quickly aligned himself and struck again. His fist connected to my face and I went flying backwards into a tree. I pushed myself upright and continued to dodge his attacks. Now Hiei was attacking with his raw energy. Fists were now being infused with flames. His energy was ravenous. It pulsed against the trees, even shaking the ground beneath me. If I wasn't the one fighting him I would be in awe of the spectacle his energy was creating.

We fought for about twenty minutes, and I was not gaining the upper hand. Long story short, Hiei was beating me. Every punch I threw, he dodged. It was rough. I was beginning to look rough. I landed on the ground with another thud, but quickly swiped my legs at the approaching demon, kicking his chin and small body backwards. As I said, I wasn't the best with hand to hand combat, but I knew how to hold my ground. Especially with my legs almost being as long as Hiei's body. He released a smirk as he drew his hand to his chin, wiping his own blood away.

"You know how to hold your own." He stated the obvious. I slowly rose to my feet. My arm was beginning to twitch. Again, he noticed, "But you are, once again holding back." His energy flared again, yet this time it was much darker and more dangerous than before. Sparks began to appear around his arm. They turned black in their color. "Perhaps now you'll treat me as more serious opponent." A convenient crack of thunder escaped from the sky. Hiei looked up and gave a sadistic smile. "Or, perhaps Mukuro made an error in favoring you. Beneath her flesh she still has a heart. And sometimes it betrays her better judgement. Perhaps you really are just a weakling."

Two things really piss me off in life; two things really get on my nerves. Those were having my loyalty questioned and being called weak. Hiei hit both of those nerves dead on. I wasn't pissed. I wasn't livid. I was beyond those emotions. I was just raw. My emotions swirled into my energy, as well as the veins on my arms. They were constricting and pulsating against my skin. My fingers flexed, energy puckered at their tips. My nails on my index, middle, and thumb began to grow. My purple eyes began to darken and my iris became a ghostly white. He wanted a show, he was sure as hell going to get one.

Hiei noticed it all. His energy reached it's full charge and he thrust his arm forward. The black dragon was ready to be released. I thrust my arm towards him as well.

"Kiironotsume!"

Hiei's eyes grew wide. His hand began to tremble, it was caught in something. It was me. My energy wrapped around it holding his own black dragon, refusing it's release. That was the power of the kiironotsume. I had the ability to control someones youki. I could put a hold on someones energy, trapping it within my own. My energy began to pulsate again, and now Hiei's elbow began to bend under the pressure of my attack. I was going to twist his arm, and redirect his own dragon right into his face. Hiei's astonished glare turned into that of frustration. He once again charged his energy and channeled it into the contained dragon, pushing his arm back towards me. I flared my own as well. The stress was becoming unbearable on the two of us as well as the environment around us. The trees began to croak as they started to bend. The wind howled, lightning struck, the grass was bursting into flames below us. My skin started to bruise and my fingers began to resemble a large demonic claw. Eventually we reached a moment where we couldn't push ourselves further and the forces of our attack exploded in between us. Tree's flattened, I was thrust backwards, I'm sure Hiei did as well. My body tumbled like a broken doll across the ground until I hit a boulder. I let out a pained yell the weight of my attack hit all the nerves of my body. I withered in pain, gasping for air as my arm spammed. It usually did this after my attack. I was painful every time. My nails receded, my eyes shifted back to their violet hue and what was left of my arm was a bruised and bloody mess. I closed my eyes and took a few minutes to catch my breath. Why did I agree to this fight? There was no way I'd be at full power by the time of the tournament. Much the less to get my ass back to the fortress. My body felt as heavy as the boulder behind me. I felt shuffling, and upon opening my eyes I glanced up at Hiei who was now standing over me. He looked just as bad as I did. His face was battered, scratches were on his skin. His shirt was missing, even his pants hand some rips in them. His body was wavering much like the remaining grass in the wind.

"Hn." He finally spoke. His eyelids began to wiggle, "Not bad."

He then fell forward, hitting the boulder face first behind me. His body then slid to the side before colliding to the ground.

I was at a loss.

"Um." I sat there dumbfounded. He wasn't dead; he was clearly breathing. But he wasn't moving either.

"Uhhh," Another mumble escaped my lips. I slid my foot over to him and poked at his calf. Nothing. Another nudge…still nothing. Then I moved my hand and grabbed at his wrist, raising his arm in the air. I released, and his arm dropped back down to the ground with a thud.

Great, he was catatonic. I sat there in silence. I had no strength to pick him up and carrying him back to the fortress. Just lifting his arm caused my hand to buckle. I made the firm decision that we both needed to rest. I looked over at Hiei, he was so, tiny when he was sleeping. Even though he was shorter than me Hiei always carried himself like the tallest demon in the room with a face that never showed emotion or pain; it was almost admirable. Now he just laid on his stomach with his cheek against the dirt. His face looked so youthful that way. His lips parted slightly as a deep sigh escaped him. He was so peaceful. It was bizarre. I drew my knee up to my chest and rested my head.

"That was quite the display earlier."

I immediately jolted to my feet. It didn't matter how fatigued I was. The voice was foreign and I wasn't about to be ambushed.

I eye two demons who stood about five feet away from the two of us. One had horns that stretched from their head, the other had a slender face with hollowed white eyes. Both of them were dressed in a black military style uniform. I snarled and forced my body into a fighting stance. The two demon men laughed and held up their hands in defense.

"We are not here to attack. Mainly to compliment your skills. We are members of the Araiansu. Perhaps you've heard of us."

"Never heard of ya." I responded, still not moving from my stance.

The horned demon chuckled, "Of course not. You work for Mukuro, and him." He glanced down at Hiei.

"We are a group focused on the liberation of demons from spirit world control. Too long have demons been persecuted by Reikai and their minions. We are here to put an end to it. And we need members. Members of your skills could rise within our rankings quite quickly."

"I'm just fine where I am, thank you." Literally and figuratively. If they took another step I'd summon the strength the the depths of my toes and kill them all.

"Understood. Here." The white eyed demon removed a sheet of paper from his uniform and set it on the ground in front of him. "I'll leave this here for you. More information about our cause. Fill free to share it with your other warriors."

They quickly left after that and retreated into the shadows of the woods. Slowly I walked over and retrieved the paper. Heading back towards the safety of my boulder I sat back down and glanced at the sheet.

The Araiansu. The Alliance. Reading over the paper I gathered this group was nothing more than radical demons trying to stir trouble in a a time of peace. Sure, I had my biased opinions of Reikai but who didn't? They had no business in our world; we had our kings and structure of power and principle in place. There were always rumors that the Spirit Realm were not as benevolent as they had described themselves. Even I grew weary of Hiei when he first arrived in Mukuro's barracks. He had ties to Reikai, all of us did. How convenient that Hiei, the possessed human Kurama, and former spirit detective Yusuke all infiltrate themselves into the three largest powers in Makai? We all thought they were spies from the Spirit Realm.

Ugh. I was beginning to sound like a radical. I folded the paper and tucked it into my boots and stretched against the rock.

It was a few hours before Hiei eventually stirred. I watched his eyes roll beneath his lids, his lashes flutter and squint before they opened. He looked confused at first, and then came his usual scowl as he slowly pushed his arms into the ground to lift himself upright. As he maneuvered into a seated position he stared at me. I felt like I owed him an explanation.

"You feel asleep." I said, "I figured it would be better to wait until you woke up."

"Hn." Hiei responded.

"I also didn't want to carry you back to the village on my back. That look wouldn't suit either of us."

"Ah." Hiei brushed the dirt off his cheek. He rose to his feet and turned towards the direction of our home. The orb of his eyes turned towards me, "Too weak to stand?"

Sorry I didn't get three hours of rest, sir. I was too busy being lookout while you beauty rested! Instead I just answered, "Go ahead, I'll be-"

He disappeared before I could finish. "right behind you…. _asshole_."

* * *

The bathing waters were exactly what I needed. I released the largest exhale while I slipped into the waters of the large pool within Mukuro's fortress. Finally after a long walk back I deserved a bit of relaxation. I mixed the waters with various herbs and spices, everything one would need to repair the damage from Hiei's attacks. There was no one in the pool and I welcomed the privacy. I took a moment to breathe in the heady aroma before dunking myself into the waters to rinse my hair. As I surfaced I heard it.

 _Click clack click clack click clack._

The door opened and Pri popped her head into the room, "Sade!" She exclaimed. Issa followed shortly behind her. "You're- oh! You look-"

"Terrible." I finished for her. She nodded.

"What happened out there? Surely patrolling hasn't become that dangerous, has it?" Issa asked while walking over toward me. She sat on the ledge above me and dipped her toes in the water. Pri followed and sat cross legged to my other side and began detangling my hair.

"Hiei." I answered, wincing while Pri tugged a knot, "He challenged me to a fight?"

" _And?_ " Both women asked in unison.

"Stalemate." I answered.

"Will you two fight again?" Pri questioned as she continued to work on my hair.

I shrugged my shoulders, wincing again, "I _hope_ not."

"Yeah," Issa added, "perhaps you two can find a more safer environment for your next date."

"What?!" I whipped my head around to glare at the demon behind me. The force of my turn almost caused Pri to yelp as she nearly lost her balance into the water. My eyes drifted from Issa's wigging brows towards my boots, "See that?"

Issa glanced over her shoulder. With a long stretch she grabbed at my boots and pulled out the white paper. Pri moved close as the two inspected the inscription.

"The time has come to liberate our home from the claws of oppression that is the Spirit Realm. Join our cause as we rise up to fight those who have committed the most ultimate betrayal. The time will come to serve justice to the Reikai and all of it's inhabitants and supporters. The Araiansu are waiting, join us." Issa read aloud, "Where did you find this?"

"Some fanboys were handing them out."

"Has Lord Mukuro seen it?" Pri asked while tilting her head.

"I haven't shown anyone besides you two."

Issa let out an unimpressed huff and began to crumble the paper, "It's all nonsense. Every few years there's a group like this that tries to get everyone all riled up to fight the Spirit Realm and nothing ever comes of it."

I sank further into the pool to conceal my lips beneath the water. Perhaps it was best to just let it go. I had a tournament to prepare for, and the last thing our world needed was another dispute between realms. Though it would make my life less boring.

Issa and Pri stayed for a few moments before heading out to grab something to eat. I was the type of demon that enjoyed a multi hour long bath so I continued to stay and relax my aching body. I took another dunk below the surface and listened to the echo's of the waters. I held my breath as long as I could before popping up my head.

And there he was.

Hiei, staring at me. Except this time I was completely naked and only covered by the thin veil of the murky waters. I let out a gasp and covered my breasts and crossed my legs. What was his deal?! Can't a demon have some privacy in the shared bathroom? Is that too much to ask?! I normally don't have problems with being nude around other people but Hiei was my boss!

"You were taking too long." He said flatly; His tone void of all emotion. His eyes modestly shifted to the wall behind me. How polite of him.

"Pardon me for trying to relax. Not all of us had a fun sparing experience today."

"Perhaps If you improve your close combat you wouldn't be thrown around as much."

Ugh. This guy. My face scrunched into a tight knot, "Well I'll try harder next time."

"Precisely why I'm here. We'll be sparring, you and I." He stated matter o factly, completely ignoring that my face and body was turning red with both anger and embarrassment. "From now until the tournament."

Double damn it. "Surely there are other, much more stronger people you could spar with."

"None with an ability quite like yours. Tomorrow at first light." With that he turned and walked away. I watched him go before thrusting my arm forward into the water, splashing the ground where he once stood. I submerged myself once more into the water, trying as hard as I could to drown myself. But eventually I needed air, and a drink. And to prepare myself for the worst week of my life.

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 **Hope you enjoyed. View, Alert, Favorite, Review! Next chapter should have a little more magic and drama to it. I hope you'll be looking forward to reading it.**


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